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Wednesday, April 1, 2015

This weekend the good folks at Warner Brothers Animation will be flying me out to WonderCon in Anaheim, California for the premiere of Batman vs. Robin. I won’t have a table in artist’s alley, but you can find me at the following events. Hope to see you there!

World Premiere Batman vs. Robin

Friday April 3, 2015 6:00pm - 8:00pm

Arena

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, DC Entertainment and Warner Bros. Animation welcome WonderCon Anaheim attendees to the World Premiere of Batman vs. Robin; the latest entry in the ongoing series of DC Universe Original Movies. In the film, Damian Wayne, now bearing the mantle of Robin, blazes a headstrong and sometimes reckless trail alongside his father, Batman. While investigating a crime scene, Robin encounters a mysterious figure, Talon, who leads him on a life-altering course through the depths of Gotham's secret society, known as The Court of Owls. It's a dangerous journey that will force Batman and Robin to face their most dangerous adversary: each other! Be among the first to see this new film, then stay for a star-studded panel led by the voices of Batman, Jason O'Mara (Terra Nova, Complications), Robin, Stuart Allan (Son of Batman), and Sean Maher (Firefly/Serenity, Much Ado About Nothing), respectively, alongside producer James Tucker (Justice League: Throne of Atlantis), director Jay Oliva (Batman: Assault on Arkham), Eisner Award-winning writer J.M. DeMatteis (Justice League, Teen Titans Go!), character designer Phil Bourassa (Justice League: Throne of Atlantis), dialogue director Andrea Romano (Batman: The Dark Knight Returns), and some special guests. DC All-Access host Tiffany Smith will moderate the fun, including the awarding of a few exclusive prizes. Inspired by the storyline from the bestselling graphic novel, Batman: Court of Owls, Batman vs. Robin arrives April 14 from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment on Blu-ray Combo Pack, DVD and Digital HD.

The Nerdist Comics Panel

Saturday April 4, 2015 7:30pm - 8:20pm

Room 208

Bwah-ha-ha! J.M. DeMatteis and Kevin Maguire talk shop with Ben Blacker and Heath Corson in a special edition of their Nerdist Comics Panel podcast—with a focus on the classic Giffen-DeMatteis-Maguire run on Justice League International.

More Than Sidekicks

Sunday April 5, 2015 1:00pm - 2:00pm

Room 300AB

Superheroes may get the glory, but it's their "sidekicks" that do all the real heavy lifting...and steal your heart. Join the definitive voice of Robin, Loren Lester (Batman: The Animated Series), Eisner Award-winning writer J.M. DeMatteis, Warner Archive Collection podcasters D. W. Ferranti and Matthew Patterson, and a myriad of special guests for an engaging look at some of the most endearing sidekicks to grace popular DC-based TV series; from Burt Ward in the 1966 Batman series and Legends of the Superheroes TV special and the early TV cartoon incarnations of Teen Titans and Batman & Robin to modern high-def presentations of Young Justice, Batman: The Brave and the Bold, Beware the Batman, and the popular Teen Titans Go!.

Well, I'm sure that if I stopped and pondered on it I could come up with some more, but off the top of my head:

-Comics fought Nazis before America entered the war. This one is admittedly weak since mny Americans assumed we would get into the war, but...

- what they didn't think was that we would be dragged in by Japan. A few months before Pearl Harbor, Captain America and Bucky defended a U.S. naval; base from a sneak attack by an unnamed Asian power.

-What first got me thinking about this was being at someone's home the other day, and flipping though there "World Without Superman" trade, and seeing the part where Jimmy is struggling with whether or not to sell the picture of Superman's death. A few years later, this type of question would be brought front and center with a picture taken of Princess Diana dead.

-In one of the few Superman stories I own, (what's so funny about truth, justice and the American Way," Superman finds his morals challenged by a group that kills villains sans mercy or trial. The concept of the ends justifying the means and just what morality is is debated by Metropolis. This comic came out in Jan. 2001. Less than a year later the U.S.A.P.A.T.R.I.O.T. Act would have a similar question for the rest of us.

-Iron Man went onto Vietnam in 1963... early 1963. Stan said it was picked at random. While there had been advisers there since the 50s, and Kennedy had already sent troops in, the escalation of troops by him was yet to happen. Most people barely knew in country existed, that the U.S. had interests there,or how big it become .

-While thin, one could possibly say that Frank Miller predicted the apathy of 90s youth (and to an extent a feeling that didn't go away) in DKR.

-And of course Gerry Conway predicting the rash of cloning dead coeds with his original clone saga, which beat the national trend (which lasted 3 long years) by only a few months.

Excellent examples, Jack. I suspect all fiction, especially speculative fiction, has anticipated many social and scientific trends.

I was recently reading an interview with a writer who was discussing Paddy Chayefsky's classic movie, NETWORK, which seemed like an absurd satire at the time and now seems like a slice of very sad realism.

While some of those do fit the mold, there is a bit of a difference between predicting a handheld communication device and space travel is a bit different than predicting a social discussion that was on no ones radar. "What's so funny about Truth, Justice, and The America Way," was about a trend in comics, which had actually by that point died down (especially at DC) and was being discussed by no one in the real world. The defense of an icon was an accidental prelude to the debate of a nation. It really is one of the... well, I'd say coincidence, but people in my line don't tend to believe in those, so I don't know what. If you haven't read the comics I would recommend it (and this is coming from a non-Superfan) or at least watching the movie.

The really weird thing about the U.S.A.P.A.T.R.I.O.T. is whether you agree with it or not, and I DO NOT want to turn this into a forum for political discussion, what it does and the name itself is seriously like something out of a Philip K. Dick story. Seriously, so much of that decade (and now to a somewhat lesser extent) relates so strongly to him, I don't know how he didn't become the must-read author of the time. Instead all we got were some attempts to copy his style that came out more than they should, terrible.

As for the cloning thing...

I think if a middle-aged college professor started creating copies of College girls the question of intent would be a little... less than flattering. Can you say SVU? He might be praying to be called a super-villain.

In the end just create a race of super-powered beings completely loyal to you. People will say less nasty things about you, and be less suspicious.

There are somethings that can't be translated or are lost when something from a drawn medium to a live action one, like Spider-man and J. Jonah Jameson's relationship. In the movies (that both were in) Jameson was portrayed well, but that back and forth verbal-fencing nature was nowhere to be seen. Because there wasn't enough time? MAybe... but it also would have looked ridiculous. IN a comic (or animation if one must slum) those type of things work just fine. Being drawn by someone in a style makes it all seem possible. IN person though it just seems strange, foreign, or just plain insane.

You're on to something there, Jack. I was just saying, last week, on a WonderCon panel. that there's a reality on the comic book page that doesn't exist anywhere else. You buy that reality and accept the characters completely. But, sometimes, when that reality moves from the page to the screen it just shatters. The thing just won't translate.

I've gotten about half way through the DD Netflix series, and no mention of a radar sense. While it might still happen, I think that may be why.

This is also why a Fourth World or Starlin styled cosmic story won't ever be made. They don't work anywhere else. Starlin is a comic creator, one of the few. Many people who work in comics could probably do at least somewhat well in another medium, but for Starlin (despite being a novelist) comics are where it is at. His graphic novel that came out last year could not be anything else but a comic.

Both are just to weird and unbelievable. Film can't sell it. Comics are what dreams are REALLY made of. you can do anything, from a very grounded tale, to an off the wall bizarre space-faring odyssey and all points in between.America doesn't know how lucky it is to have this homegrown artistic medium

Comics spend sop much time trying to compete they forget in some ways they are better. It will be a sad day if/WHEN they go.

Jack.

P.S. do you ever go into comic shops where they may not recognize you by name, and pick a fight about your work just so someone will praise you as you tear it down.?

I agree. It would be difficult to do a NEW GODS live-action movie, but I think it would be perfect for animation. In fact the DC Animated Universe has made good use of the New Gods mythology over the years. (I wrote a JLU episode that took place on Apokolips and featured Mr. Miracle, Big Barda, Kalibak, Vermin Vundabarr and Granny Goodness (voiced brilliantly by Ed Asner!).

First, that was meant to say where they don't know toy by face, not"by name)

Do you not do it because you can't bring yourself to insult your own work? You want to trick people into praising you, but every time you try your mouth makes like Fonz trying to say "wrong" you want to say its crap, but it turns into"It's Cr.. It's cra...craaaaa....craaaaaazy good?"

Now that is the ego maniac we at creation Point have come to know and fear.

DCAU did right by the New Gods. Personally though, and I'm sure you'll try to burn me as a heretic, but I prefer Starlin's cosmic tales... So a Warlock animated film would be great.

and didn't Steranko help you out with that one? Typical Dematteis.

Jack

P.S. if there is ever a JLI, Booster Gold& Blue Beetle, or Hero Squared TV show I voter They Might BE Giants (a band I have been familiar with for decades... good God I'm old) do the theme. Just some random thought that ame into my head the other day

While it is true that Starlin's creations are getting attention, the nature of his stories are being more or less forgotten. It is easy to see why.... they're really weird. Guardians of the Galaxy (both film and current comic) seem much more Star Wars like instead of Starlin. When a character has to kill a version of himself to prevent the evil empire from existing then Starlin will really be fitting into the cinematic world.

Despite actually being a novelist, I think Starlin is one of the few people who are really COMIC creators. By that I mean that he would not gain notoriety in any other medium. So many of his stories can only be comics.

I agree that Starlin's universe is unique to the page. One thing comics often (not always, but often) offers is an artistic POV that is unique to the creator's voice. That, more often than note, is going to get lost in the translation to the screen. But not always!

I'll listen to those "theme songs" when I have a moment. Thanks, Jack!